Drinking green tea could help pensioners stay younger and fitter, according to a study. Japanese researchers say those who drink the hot beverage stay more physically active and are least likely to develop 'functional disability'.
The team tracked the health of almost 14,000 men and women aged 65-plus for three years, recording what they ate and drank and any care they needed. They found those who drank at least five cups a day were 33 per cent less likely to develop a disability than those who consumed less than one cup.
Drinking three to four cups a day reduced the risk by 25 per cent.
The research, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found green tea drinkers generally had healthier diets, lower smoking rates. They were also better educated and had more friends and family to rely on, the Tokyo University study.
It is unclear exactly why green tea has such benefits although the drink does contain high levels of polyphenols, plant chemicals which cut cholesterol and reduce DNA damage. Coffee and tea also contain polyphenols, although much lower levels.
The Japanese study did not prove a direct link between simply green tea and good health - as those who drank the beverage generally had healthier diets. Green tea should be avoided by those taking the blood-thinning drug warfarin as the vitamin K in it can stop the drug from working properly.
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